Name Recognition Vital, So O'leary Includes Numerals

GOLF CONFIDENTIAL

June 2, 2004|By Steve Elling, Sentinel Staff Writer

There's a reason John O'Leary III uses the Roman numeral characters that are affixed to his name. And it isn't because of vanity or a desire to mirror Davis Love, Frank Lickliter, Charles Howell, Michael Clark or other tour pros who have a litter of letters trailing their surnames.

The trouble, O'Leary said, is that people nonetheless tend to shorten his name, perhaps because they find it a bit stuffy.

"I don't know if people take offense to me doing it or what, but there's a reason why I list my name like that," O'Leary said.

Witness the confusion at the recent U.S. Open local qualifier held at Disney World. O'Leary, 38, shot 5-under 67 to advance to the sectional stage Tuesday at Lake Nona Golf Club, but his round was mistakenly credited to John O'Leary of Reston, Va., who shot non-qualifying 75.

O'Leary III, a former UCF player, lives in Ocoee and is an instructor at the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy at Bay Hill. He never knew there was a mix-up until he received a message from a student who half-jokingly asked whether he had moved to Virginia. The results issued by the Florida State Golf Association, which ran the qualifier for the US. Golf Association, listed the latter O'Leary as the player who advanced. That meant the Web site of the USGA, which administers the U.S. Open, had it wrong, too.

Knowing how the USGA feels about incorrect scorecards, obscure rules and other matters relating to golfing minutaie and potential disqualification, O'Leary III immediately contacted the FSGA, which informed the USGA of the miscue. So, everything should be straightened out.

But you never know. Yet another golfing John O'Leary, a former Ryder Cup and European Tour member, once won the Irish Open.